EU welcomes auto tariff delay and says ready to negotiate deal

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission welcomed on Friday the delay to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on whether to impose tariffs on imported cars and said it was prepared to negotiate a transatlantic trade accord that included automobiles.

“We welcome that in spite of some differences, the EU and the U.S. stick loyally and faithfully to the agreement found between President Juncker and President Trump on 25 July 2018. Additional tariffs in either direction could therefore be avoided,” a Commission spokesman said.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a tweet she rejected the notion that EU car exports were a U.S. national security threat, adding that the European Union was ready to negotiate a limited trade agreement, including cars, but not a deal to manage trade that violated World Trade Organization rules.

She said she would discuss trade relations with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Paris next week.